Books
Monitor thought leaders have made major contributions to business theory. See selected recent publications:
Plowing the Sea l Michael Fairbanks
This powerful book argues that the tremendous advantages developing nations have in natural resources, inexpensive labor, and fertile soil have actually kept these nations poor. Their advantages-easily imitated in other areas around the world-have not been sufficient engines for growth. Billions of dollars have been spent to eradicate poverty; still these regions remain as dependent as ever on volatile natural resource exports and foreign aid. Plowing the Sea is the authors' attempt to unearth and nurture the hidden sources of growth-knowledge, innovation, and human capital-that remain untapped in developing countries.
Challenging conventional wisdom, the authors advocate creative approaches to competitiveness, encourage new leadership roles within the private and public sectors, and promote an integrated approach to national development strategy.
Can Japan Compete? l Michael E. Porter
Japan has been in an economic slump for more than half a decade. Why did this once-strong economy topple? What do its troubles tell us about competing in the new global marketplace? In Can Japan Compete?, world-renowned competition strategist Michael Porter and his colleagues explain why American assumptions about Japan have proved so inaccurate, what Japan must do to regain its strength, and what its journey can tell us about how to succeed in the new global economy. The research behind this book began in the early 1990s, at a time when Japan's economic success was overwhelmingly credited to the Japanese government and its unique management policies. Porter and his colleagues started by asking a crucial but previously overlooked question: If Japanese government policies and practices accounted for the nation's extraordinary competitiveness, then why wasn't Japan competitive in many of the industries where those policies had been prominently implemented?
Valuation l Tom Copeland
This book describes the valuation process and explains the differences between valuation and accounting practices in the United States and those in other countries. It illustrates how to take advantage of the American tradition of maximizing shareholder value, demonstrates how value-based management contributes to improved strategic thinking, and shows managers at every level in any corporation how to create value for their companies. In addition, this book provides:
- Insights into the strategic advantages of value-based management strategies for multibusiness valuation, valuation of international businesses, and valuation for corporate restructuring, mergers, and acquisitions;
- International comparisons of the cost of capital, differences in accounting procedures, and how valuation works in different countries;
- A detailed case study showing how valuation techniques and principles are applied.